Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. Genesis 50:19-21
Jacob favored one of his twelve sons, Joseph, above the others. Joseph’s brothers saw their father’s favoritism and were resentful. They sold their little brother as a slave and told their father that he was killed by a wild beast.
Joseph ended up in Egypt, where he became a slave to a man named Potiphar. Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph, but he refused. She, in turn, falsely accused Joseph of trying to rape her. As a result, Joseph was thrown into an Egyptian dungeon, where God blessed Joseph even while in prison. Joseph earned the reputation for being able to interpret dreams (it was God, not Joseph, of course!)
When the Pharaoh had a dream and no one could interpret it, Joseph was hauled out of the dungeon and presented to Pharaoh. Joseph correctly interpreted the Pharaoh’s dream about seven years of plenty, followed by seven years of famine. Impressed, Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of preparing for the famine.
The famine was so bad that Joseph’s family back in Palestine was starving. When they heard that there was food in Egypt, Joseph’s brothers traveled to Egypt to buy food.
Once there, Joseph recognized them, but they did not recognize Joseph. After a bit of drama, Joseph revealed his identity as their long-lost brother—whom they previously sold! They were afraid that Joseph would be vengeful, but he was not. Joseph addressed their fears (Genesis 50:19-21), comforting them and speaking kindly to them.
Joseph is another picture of Christ.
Like Joseph, Jesus was hated and rejected by His people, who sought to kill Him by having Him crucified on a Roman cross.
Just as Joseph refused to retaliate, but instead saved his brothers and their families, Jesus’ death (and resurrection) provided salvation for those who trust in Him.
John 1:11-12 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name…
When Jesus explained to His disciples—on the Road to Emmaus—how He was everywhere in the OT (Luke 24), I’ll bet he told them everything I just told you—only better.
The point is, Jesus is on every page of the Bible. The stories in the Old Testament are not morality myths or fables. They all really happened and they all point to Christ. Oh, how I pray that we all learn to see Jesus in the Old Testament!